A novel approach for rapid detection of bacterially contaminated platelet concentrates via sensitive measurement of microbial DNA polymerase activity.

Transfusion of bacterially contaminated platelet concentrates (PCs) can result in serious health consequences for the affected patient. Before being released from blood banking facilities, PCs are routinely screened for bacterial contamination by culture-based tests. However, culture-based PC screening methods require extended holding and incubation periods and are prone to false-negative results due to sampling error. Screening PCs closer to the time of transfusion using rapid point-of-issue tests represents an alternative approach; however, FDA-approved assays generally suffer from a lack of sensitivity.